Guidelines for Physician Panel Determinations on Worker Requests for Assistance in Filing for State Workers' Compensation Benefits

The Department of Energy (DOE) is today publishing a final rule providing procedures to implement Part D of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 under which a DOE contractor employee or an employee's estate or survivor can seek assistance from the DOE Office of Worker Advocacy (Program Office) in filing a claim with the appropriate State workers' compensation system based on an illness or death that arose out of exposure to a toxic substance during the course of employment at a DOE facility. These procedures deal with how: (1) An individual may submit an application to the Program Office for review and assistance; (2) the Program Office determines whether to submit an application to a Physician Panel; (3) a Physician Panel determines whether the illness or death of a DOE contractor employee arose out of and in the course of employment by a DOE contractor and through exposure to a toxic substance at a DOE facility; (4) the Program Office processes a determination by a Physician Panel; and (5) appeals may be undertaken.